This book focuses on a research field that is rapidly emerging as one of the most promising ones for the global optics and photonics community: the "lab-on-fiber" technology. Inspired by the well-established "lab on-a-chip" concept, this new technology essentially envisages novel and highly functionalized devices completely integrated into a single optical fiber for both communication and sensing applications. Based on the R&D experience of some of the world's leading authorities in the fields of optics, photonics, nanotechnology, and material science, this book provides a broad and accurate description of the main developments and achievements in the lab-on-fiber technology roadmap, also highlighting the new perspectives and challenges to be faced. This book is essential for scientists interested in the cutting-edge fiber optic technology, but also for graduate students.

Nanosized sensors enable the study of chemical and biochemical processes at a level and in dimensions that may not have been envisioned some 20 years ago. Fueled by their inherent small size and the unusual optical, magnetic, catalytic, and mechanical properties of nanoparticles, remarkable progress has been made in recent years in the development and utilization of nanosensors and optical nanotechnology will further widen the field. However, the design of new sensors requires new materials, new methods for their characterization, new optical sensing schemes, new approaches for creating nanosized structures, and new techniques for their interrogation in complex environments such as small living cells for studying biological signals or big public spaces for environmental monitoring . Optochemical Nanosensors covers the rapidly growing field of optical chemical nanosensing, a new and exciting area of research and development within the large field of optical chemical sensing and biosensing. Its many applications, including the detection of bioterrorist threats, food security, virology, explosive detection and more, are covered in these self-contained yet interrelated chapters. The book reviews optochemical sensors, starting from the basics in optoelectronicsand concluding with the presentation of diverse nanosensors. The authors offer insight into future trends in this growing field and present applications in the fields of medicine, security, and bioterrorism.

This volume focuses on a research field that has emerged in the last decade as one of the most promising and rapidly advancing. The interest towards photonic crystals and metamaterials and their strategic importance are evident in the steadily growing rate of topical publications, the recent creation of topical journals, conferences and workshops promoted by several scientific societies, the research efforts at international level, and the number of proposed novel applications based on them.

The various contributions, by renowned scientists from academia and industry, address wide-ranging topics, including aspects pertaining to modeling, phenomenologies, experiments, technologies and applications.

Nanosized sensors enable the study of chemical and biochemical processes at a level and in dimensions that may not have been envisioned some 20 years ago. Fueled by their inherent small size and the unusual optical, magnetic, catalytic, and mechanical properties of nanoparticles, remarkable progress has been made in recent years in the development and utilization of nanosensors and optical nanotechnology will further widen the field. However, the design of new sensors requires new materials, new methods for their characterization, new optical sensing schemes, new approaches for creating nanosized structures, and new techniques for their interrogation in complex environments such as small living cells for studying biological signals or big public spaces for environmental monitoring .

Optochemical Nanosensors covers the rapidly growing field of optical chemical nanosensing, a new and exciting area of research and development within the large field of optical chemical sensing and biosensing. Its many applications, including the detection of bioterrorist threats, food security, virology, explosive detection and more, are covered in these self-contained yet interrelated chapters. The book reviews optochemical sensors, starting from the basics in optoelectronicsand concluding with the presentation of diverse nanosensors. The authors offer insight into future trends in this growing field and present applications in the fields of medicine, security, and bioterrorism.

This book focuses on a research field that is rapidly emerging as one of the most promising ones for the global optics and photonics community: the “lab-on-fiber� technology. Inspired by the well-established "lab on-a-chip" concept, this new technology essentially envisages novel and highly functionalized devices completely integrated into a single optical fiber for both communication and sensing applications. Based on the R&D experience of some of the world's leading authorities in the fields of optics, photonics, nanotechnology, and material science, this book provides a broad and accurate description of the main developments and achievements in the lab-on-fiber technology roadmap, also highlighting the new perspectives and challenges to be faced. This book is essential for scientists interested in the cutting-edge fiber optic technology, but also for graduate students.